CVR Rush: INEC Registers 1.57 Million New Voters in Just Seven Weeks

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that no fewer than 1,565,873 Nigerians have successfully completed voter registration as of June 26 under the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.

The figure represents the cumulative total recorded at the end of the seventh week of Phase III of the registration exercise.

According to voter registration statistics released by the commission in Abuja on Tuesday, 620,933 applicants completed the online pre-registration process, while 944,940 registered physically at designated centres nationwide.

INEC, however, noted that the figures are provisional and remain subject to a comprehensive data verification process. The commission said the register would undergo public claims and objections before the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) is deployed to detect and eliminate duplicate or invalid registrations.

A breakdown of the data showed that Kano State recorded the highest number of new registrants, with 118,207 people, representing 7.55 per cent of the national total. Lagos followed with 78,360 registrations (five per cent), while Delta recorded 76,395 registrants, accounting for 4.88 per cent.

The commission also announced the temporary suspension of voter registration in Ekiti and Osun states. It explained that the move was in line with Section 9(6) of the Electoral Act 2022, following the conclusion of the Ekiti governorship election and ahead of the forthcoming governorship poll in Osun State.

Gender distribution data showed that women accounted for the majority of new registrations, with 821,276 registrants, representing 52.45 per cent of the total. Male registrants stood at 744,597, making up the remaining 47.55 per cent.

Young people continued to dominate the registration exercise, with Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 34 accounting for 1,082,985 registrations, or 69.16 per cent of the total. The 35 to 49 age bracket followed with 331,376 registrants, representing 21.16 per cent, while older age groups made up the balance.

By occupation, students emerged as the largest group of newly registered voters, with 384,093 registrations, representing 24.53 per cent of the total. Business owners followed with 333,539 registrants (21.30 per cent), while 273,627 farmers and fishermen registered during the exercise, accounting for 17.47 per cent.

INEC also disclosed that 18,919 Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) registered during the reporting period.

The commission encouraged all eligible Nigerians who have yet to register to take advantage of the ongoing exercise by completing their registration through the online CVR portal or by visiting designated registration centres across the country to secure their eligibility to vote in future elections.